Choices to make
by silver brilliance
Summary: What would you have done if you were asked to choose between your best friend and the one you love? Both Danny and Rafe were presented this difficult situation, and they chose to...Read on to find out. Chapter 2 is rewritten! Please review!
1. I miss you

Chapter 1

Danny was dead. Rafe could not accept it, Danny had always been there. There was no explanation. He was just there, and now, he's not there anymore. It hurt him more than Evelyn did. More than that fight with Danny at the bar, where he had got himself a splitting headache lasting for two days. Now he knew what Danny felt like when he did not return from England. He was sorry now. He would give anything to have Danny back here with him. As long as Danny would come back…

It had been a week, and Rafe had not gotten used to not seeing Danny every morning when he woke up. They shared a room back in New York, before they set off on that suicide mission, and the empty bed against the wall was a painful reminder of what happened. Rafe shifted his eyes, tears filling up once more. _Danny, I am so sorry. _

Danny had died to save Rafe. It was all his fault. If he had enough sense to bail out of the plane over the sea, Danny would not have died. They would not have been captured by the Japs, and nothing would have happened.

Rafe walked aimlessly down the street. It was a Sunday, and every where, people were enjoying themselves. He could remember Danny walking alongside him, along the same street. That was before they had quarreled over Evelyn, before Pearl Harbor was bombed. They had still been training in Long Island. That day was also a Sunday, and they had stopped by a watch shop…there. Watson's Watches.

"_Look at that watch, Danny. I wish I had one like that. My watch had spoilt long ago, and I hadn't gotten down to getting a new one."_

_Danny did not reply. He just smiled quietly. "Come on, Rafe. We cannot keep the others waiting. We have a buffet to go to."_

Rafe closed his eyes. It was only about a year ago, but it seemed like ages. Afterwards, so many things happened. He left for England, Danny got involved with Evelyn, his girl. They had a fight, and then Danny went on that mission and died. Rafe's mind went back to the day he returned from the mission, Danny's death fresh on his mind.

_Opening the door to his room, Rafe locked himself in. He needed to have some time to himself. Everything was just where they had left them. Dumping his luggage on the floor, Rafe sat down on his bed and cried._

_Why did Danny have to die? _

_Rafe opened his drawer to look at the pictures he had taken with Danny. That way, he could pretend that Danny was still alive and there with him…_

_The first thing that greeted his eyes when he opened the drawer was a small blue case. Watson's Watches. Unable to believe his eyes, Rafe took up the case and opened it. The watch he had pointed out to Danny a few months ago sat proudly in the middle of the case, and on it, there was a note._

"_Dear Rafe,_

_I am sorry I took so long to get this for you. It is just that I am not very well off, and it takes some time to save enough money for that. I just want you to know that I am sorry I spoilt our relationship. I never meant to do anything like that. I really thought that you were dead, it was not done on purpose. _

_Sorry. I just could not think of anything to show you how sorry I am. I hope that you will forgive me. Or at the very least, keep this watch. I went for a week without lunch and supper just to save up the money to get this for you. So don't you dare throw it away._

_I meant to give it to you personally, but there wasn't enough time. I slipped it in the drawer just after you left, so as to keep it a surprise. Hope that you would like it._

_I wish you an early happy birthday. In case you don't want to have me around, you won't see me at your party. So I will just give you your present in advance._

_Happy birthday, Rafe._

_Signed,_

_Danny Walker"_

Rafe tried to hold back his tears. Everything he saw reminded him of Danny. Danny's smile, Danny's actions, Danny's laugh, that mischievous twinkle in his eye…Rafe missed him. A whole lot.


	2. Choices to make

Author's note:

Thanks for your review, my-voice-rising! I have changed this chapter, and tried to put in more details. Hope you like it.

* * *

Chapter 2

Hard choices

Sitting down on a roadside bench, Rafe buried his head into his hands. If only things had not turned out the way they did…

_It's about time I went back. Rafe thought. I have been out here for too long, the others are going to worry. He lifted his head from his hands, and found himself in a totally strange place. __Where am I? Rafe looked around, frowning. I thought I was outside that watch shop. This place looked sort of empty, and bland. Hazy, too._

_The monotonous grey colour was beginning to get on Rafe's nerves. He got up quickly from the bench. The surroundings were blur, and strange. An old man walked slowly up to Rafe. His clothes were plain, the clothes of a farmer. His hair was streaked with grey, and wrinkles on his face told of countless hardships. There was a certain bitterness to the lines on his face, but when he looked up at Rafe, the look on his face was sympathetic. Rafe frowned. He didn't need anyone showing him sympathy. He wanted them to leave him alone. _

_Before he could get up and leave, the old man sat down beside him. His eyes were full of regret and pain. It was as if he shared the pain Rafe was feeling. Rafe turned away, refusing to look at those eyes. No one would understand how he felt. The old man was a complete stranger. How would he know what it felt to lose Danny? For goodness sake, that man hadn't even known Danny. _

_There was a small thought nagging at him. He couldn't help noticing the way those eyes resembled Danny's. A slightly older version, but still strangely alike nonetheless…_

"_Nice weather." the old man said._

_Rafe snorted, but did not reply. Nice weather? The man was nuts. He couldn't even tell the weather from the hazy and blur surroundings. All he knew was that it looked grey, and if grey qualified as nice weather in the old man's opinion, he didn't want to know what bad weather was._

_The old man paused, as if waiting for a reply. Rafe ignored him. He was too busy trying to figure out where he was and how he got here. The old man turned around to look at Rafe. "Do you really want your friend back?"_

"_What do you mean?" Rafe was startled. Things are getting stranger by the minute. First he ended up in who-knows-where, and the next second a complete stranger seems to know his personal troubles. "Wait a minute, where on earth am I?"_

_The old man shrugged. "__This place can be whatever you imagine it to be." _

_Whatever I want to be? It reflects what I am thinking of? Rafe was rather startled. I don't believe him. Closing his eyes, he tried to think of happier things, and the first thing that cropped into his mind was his home. Tennessee, where he had spent his childhood. Back then, he had nothing to do all day except play with Danny, and dream of flying. A smile came to his lips at the thought of those times. _

"_Quite impressive, I have to say." The old man's voice jerked him back to the present. Rafe opened his eyes, and an entire stretch of golden fields greeted him. A wooden house in the background caught his attention. Isn't that his house? Boy, he was back in Tennessee, just like that? The familiar scene made his heart ache. When they left to join the army, neither of them had any idea that joining the army could mean going into war. And since they had left, for all these years, they hadn't returned. _

_Rafe's throat constricted. Danny would never have a chance to come back. If he had known things would turn out this way, he would never have talked Danny into joining the army with him. _

_The scene before him faded, turning into muddy fields. With a jolt, Rafe recognized the place where both his and Danny's planes had crashed into that day. This was where Danny had died. _

_Fresh tears sprang to his eyes, and he made no effort to wipe away those that escaped down his cheeks. He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts, otherwise he would have noticed the old man turn away, blinking furiously to hide tears as well. _

_Having composed himself, the old man patted Rafe on the back. "You haven't answered my question, son."_

_Rafe looked blankly at him. _

"_I asked if you were serious about wanting to get your friend back."_

"_But…how did you know?" _

"_Never mind how I knew. Do you really want your friend back?"_

_Rafe nodded._

"_If you are allowed to choose between your girlfriend and your friend, who do you want to keep?"_

_Rafe asked confusedly, __"What do you mean?"_

"_You are only allowed to change one event. Which would you choose? You leaving for England, leaving your girlfriend behind, or your friend going on the Doolittle Raid?"_

_If it meant that Danny would come back to him, he would gladly let Danny have Evelyn. Anything to have his best friend back again. _

_Before Rafe had a chance to answer, the old man spoke again. __"You have two days to consider. Remember, you can only change one event."_

Rafe blinked. He was back at the watch shop. What was that? And who was that old man? Somehow, he looked familiar…

Was that a dream, or was it real? Rafe had never been someone who believed in dreams, but this was the first time he hoped that that dream-like encounter was real. A chance to change history!

Between Evelyn and Danny, it was a hard choice. He loved Evelyn, but he knew Danny for practically his whole life. True friends were hard to come by. From young he had always been the one who attracted the girls. Now it was about time he let Danny get the girl of his dreams. Now, the problem was, which event was he going to choose?

Going back to his room, Rafe weighed his options. If he had not left for England, Danny would not have gotten involved with Evelyn. They would have been posted to Pearl Harbor together. Then Danny would not have gone on the Doolittle Raid out of guilt towards Rafe. Then Danny would not have died. They would still be best of friends. Wouldn't they?

But what if Danny still went on the raid, just to protect Rafe? He knew Danny. Danny would want to repay Rafe for protecting him when they were younger, and he would still go on the mission. Or maybe Danny went on the raid because he wanted to? Rafe had never thought of this possibility before. Just like he had volunteered for the Eagles' Squadron a year ago, maybe Danny just wanted to help? Danny disliked wars, after what the war did to his father. But the raid was after Pearl Harbor was attacked, and Danny would most likely feel obliged to protect his country. Something Danny said came back to Rafe. _If trouble wants me I'm ready for it._

No. The crucial part of everything is the Doolittle Raid. No matter which event Rafe chose, it was still the Doolittle Raid that would change everything. Whether he went to England or not may not have been the reason why Danny went on the mission. Rafe would just have to stop Danny from going on the raid. If Danny did not go on the Doolittle Raid, he would not have died. Simple as that. Nothing could go wrong if Danny did not go on the raid. He would not die, Evelyn would be Danny's girl, and they could still be friends. What could go wrong?


	3. Unexpected changes

Chapter 3

"_So, what is your choice?"_

_Rafe stared. It was that old man again. So it was real? _

"_I am going to stop Danny from going on the raid." Rafe said firmly._

_The old man raised his eyes to look at Rafe. Rafe thought he saw a glimmer of hope in the old man's eyes, but the old man looked away before Rafe could be certain. "Sure? It would mean you are going to lose your girlfriend also, you know."_

"_I don't care. I just want Danny back."_

"_Are you sure you are going to succeed? Changing history is not easy, and you only have one chance."_

"_I am not completely sure whether I would succeed, but I am going to try my best."_

"_Well, if you insist…"_

Rafe woke up with a start. He was in his room, in Pearl Harbor. The old man lied! He had not gone back in time! He had been living here since after the raid. Rafe shook his head angrily. He knew it must have been a dream. Since when do old men appear people's lives and provide a chance to alter one of the events that they wished had not happened? He was silly to believe in dreams in the first place. He was too focused on reversing the course of events to prevent Danny from dying, but deep in his heart, Rafe knew that it was not possible to go back in time. It had been a dream after all. Very realistic, but just a dream.

Rafe sighed and ran a comb through his tousled hair. His eyes fell on the empty bunk that Danny used to sleep in. Danny wasn't going to be here, no matter how hard he wished it. Suddenly, Rafe realized that the room seemed a lot brighter than normal. It was…like the afternoon sun! He slept all the way to the afternoon? Rafe looked at the wall clock. It was in the afternoon! He was going to be late! Oh, he forgot. Today was Sunday, there was no need to report to the army, or was it? If he could sleep through the entire morning, he did not trust himself to remember dates. He glanced hurriedly at the calendar, wishing that it was Sunday, otherwise he would be in deep trouble. Oh, wait a minute…the date is March 2, the day before he and Danny had set off to see Doolittle about the mission. He had gone back in time!

Rafe rubbed his eyes hard, and blinked furiously. He could not afford to get his hopes up only to have them crushed again when he found that he was only hallucinating. He walked closer to the calendar. The date was indeed the 2nd of March. He pinched himself hard on the arm to make sure he wasn't dreaming, and the pain was real. He looked closer at Danny's bed, and found that it was more untidy than it had been when he had returned from the raid. It was untidy in the way Danny always pulled the blankets off himself whenever he got up in the morning. Danny never bothered to make his bed. Rafe remembered he had made Danny's bed as well as his own when he had returned from the raid, in a feeble attempt to convince himself that Danny was still with him.

Rafe could not believe his eyes. His bag was lying on the floor in front of him. He had fallen asleep in the middle of his packing. Danny had gone off to say goodbye to his friends a few minutes ago, which would mean…Evelyn was going to come to talk to him in a few minutes time. Everything was just the way it was that day!

He would have to go through that torturing conversation again. Okay, he admitted he still had feelings for Evelyn. Rafe just could not face experiencing it all over again. He could not bear to look at her, to hear her voice, knowing in his heart that it was going to be their last time together. Now that he was back in time, he suddenly had a feeling that he did not want to lose Evelyn. Maybe there was a way to save Danny AND not lose Evelyn. If only he could find such a way, he would not be so torn part. Love and friendship. They are so hard to choose from. Rafe realized that he had assured the old man he had chosen carefully and he would not regret his choice only because he had never believed the old man's words. He was just making a random choice between Danny and Evelyn, since he had been sure that he would never be able to change anything. It had been so easy to say that he would give up Evelyn when he thought it would never happen. Rafe felt disgusted with himself. How could he rather have Danny dead than to lose Evelyn? He had gotten greedy when he found that he could have Danny back again, and he had wanted more. Those few weeks without Danny should have been more than enough to show Rafe that things would not be the same without his best friend beside him. He could not face Evelyn in the face when he brought back news of Danny's death. Things had been awkward between them ever since. How could he doubt for one moment that losing Danny would bring Evelyn back to him when he had already gone through that? Either way, he was going to lose Evelyn, so why sacrifice Danny?

Walking quickly out of the room, Rafe headed for a nearby park. He had to face Evelyn, and he would go back when he had gotten himself ready. Rafe knew he was not supposed to do this, he would be changing the course of events if he delayed the time Evelyn came to talk to him. He was aware that a few minutes could make a big difference, but he desperately needed some time to himself to get prepared to hear that conversation again. It wouldn't hurt to be back in the house a little bit later, would it? He wouldn't be long. He just need to compose himself.

After having a few minutes to himself, Rafe gathered up the courage to go back and face Evelyn. Maybe she had left after not being able to find him in the room. Then he could pretend that nothing had happened…when Rafe got back into the house, he saw Evelyn there waiting for him. His heart tightened at the sight of her. He still loved her. And he always will. All of a sudden, the usually talkative Rafe was at a loss for words.

"You're packing?" Evelyn tried to start a conversation. The tension between the two of them was so thick that Rafe could practically smell it. Things had become very awkward between them. The conversation then went on just as Rafe had experienced before. After being emotionally prepared, it had a lesser effect on him. After all, he knew what was going to come. But it still hurt.

Finally, Evelyn left. Rafe tried to act normal and go back to packing. Because of him and his delay, the conversation had ended ten minutes later than it should. Danny should be back in the house by now. Even though it was the second time he had gone through the conversation, somehow, it still hurt to hear those words again. When he heard that Evelyn will always love him, his heart broke, and the tears flowed despite his attempts to control himself. It would not do to let Danny see his tears. If Danny asked him why he was crying, it would be hard to explain.

Even though Rafe wished that Danny had not gotten involved with Evelyn, he could not bring himself to hate Danny for stealing his girlfriend, not after he experienced what Danny had when he had supposedly died out at sea fighting the Germans. The pain then was a thousand times worse than it felt now. He had lost Evelyn, but they could still be friends, and he could still see her sometime. To lose Danny in the raid was to lose him forever, and they would not get a chance to meet again. That separation is far worse, isn't it?

Rafe shook his head violently. He had to get Evelyn out of his head. They could still be friends. Just friends. After all, he was not going to lose Danny again.

Refe looked at the clock. It had been ten minutes since Evelyn had left. How strange. Danny should be back by now. Where did he go? If he did not hurry up, they are going to miss the flight!

After the conversation, Rafe was hasty to get back to the house. He did not want anyone to see his tears, nor did he want to entertain the thought that others might have seen him with Evelyn and Danny would hear about it. He just wanted to get his packing over and done with, and pretend that nothing has happened at all. So, Rafe did not see someone stepping out of the shadows behind the petrol station where Evelyn had talked to him. If he had, he would have recognized that familiar figure. The same tall figure with the same dark brown hair. The figure that Rafe had missed so much.

"Bye, guys!" Danny waved to his friends at the air base. He had worked here since he finished the training at Long Island. The training seemed so long ago. When he first came to Pearl Harbor, he expected to have a hard time settling down. After all, the guys on the base already knew each other, and he was not sure he could make friends so easily. But now, as he looked at the people he now call his friends, Danny's face broke into a wide smile. Settling down had not been so hard after all. The soldiers here were very friendly and casual, and they had friends quickly with Danny and his friends from Long Island. They had wonderful times here, and each and every one of them was survivors from the attack on Pearl Harbor. They had fought bravely and survived. Danny was glad to be friends with these heroes.

Only this afternoon, he had received orders from Captain Brook that he and Rafe were going stateside. The captain had not said what kind of orders they were going to get, just that they were assigned to Doolittle. Danny still remembered Doolittle from the training. He had been a strict instructor, requesting only the best performance from his men. Danny respected the General a lot, and he did not mind seeing him again. However, he could not help wondering what could have made Doolittle send for them so urgently. Maybe they were going to go on a mission?

From the looks on his friends' faces, Danny knew they were worried for him. He was touched by their concern. "Don't worry," he assured them. "Nothing will happen. I will come back as soon as I can, alright?" He gave them another wave, saluted and walked off. He still had his packing to do. If he was late, Rafe would never forgive him.

As Danny neared his quarters, he saw Rafe talking with someone, over at the petrol station. That person looked like…Evelyn? What was Rafe doing with Evelyn? Danny felt a nagging feeling of unease. He knew about Evelyn's feelings for Rafe. If Rafe had not gone to England and supposedly died, Danny would never had a chance with Evelyn. _What if Evelyn is telling Rafe that she loved him? Does she still love him? _Danny found himself thinking. He walked silently closer, hiding behind the shadow of the petrol station. He felt bad for eavesdropping on them, but he could not help it. He just had to know what Evelyn was saying. He needed to know. _If…Evelyn still loved Rafe, and Rafe still loved Evelyn…I will have to give up._ Danny realized. As much as he loved Evelyn, if she did not feel the same for him, it would not mean anything for him to hold on to her. Relationships had to work both ways. If they loved each other, he would be the one in between obstructing their happiness. He was not that selfish as to want to destroy the lives of the two most important people in his life just to make himself happy. _Please, let me be wrong. _He prayed silently.

Danny heard Rafe asking Evelyn why she got involved with him. His heart missed a beat as he caught the anguish in his best friend's voice, as he heard Rafe say that he should have died out there. His eyes brimmed with tears. Danny had taken it for granted that Rafe would be strong enough to get over Evelyn, and when Rafe started acting like normal after the attack, he had assumed that Rafe had recovered and forgave him. He had become selfish, wanted to claim Evelyn for himself and did not consider Rafe's feelings as he watched the two of them being together. He had not known that he had hurt Rafe so deeply. He was too busy trying to protect his relationship with Evelyn to think about his best friend. He forgot how much Rafe loved Evelyn. Rafe had many girlfriends before, but it seemed like he had been serious about Evelyn.

Evelyn was saying something now. Danny strained to hear her words. She spoke really softly, and it was hard to catch what she was saying. Danny only managed to catch a few phrases here and there, but he caught the last sentence she said, and that was enough. It left him overwhelmed.

"I'll love you my whole life."

Rafe had always been a strong person, but just now when he was talking with Evelyn, he had cried. Rafe never cried easily. It hurt Danny just to see his best friend's tears, and he had been the cause of everything. After that fight with Rafe, after how he tried to convince himself that he was doing the right thing, the one Evelyn loved was Rafe, not him. She only chose him because she was pregnant with his child. Gosh, what had he done? He had forced Rafe and Evelyn apart just because he could not control himself and fell for Evelyn.

Danny heard the despair in Evelyn's voice, and her pain at having to give up her love for Rafe. Shattered, Danny slumped against the wall of the petrol station, trying to control his feelings. He had been so angry at Rafe for leaving, and after that, for a period of time, he had been angry at Rafe for coming back! He thought that Evelyn had been ready to go on with him, and that she loved him the same way as she loved Rafe, maybe even more. But he was terribly wrong, it seemed. She had never loved him. He was the one obstructing her happiness with Rafe all along.

Danny closed his eyes. He had risked his friendship with Rafe and he had been silly enough to believe that Evelyn would be happy with him. He would be happy, but she won't. She loved him, but she loved Rafe more. It hurt to hear Evelyn say she loved Rafe. But it tore him apart to think that he had destroyed the lives of the two most important people in his life. He thought that he was doing the right thing. Assumed that it would be alright for Rafe and for Evelyn. Took it for granted that they will have to accept the change and move on.

He had made a grave mistake. Danny wasn't sure if he could repair the damage. He loved Evelyn, and so Danny knew what he should do. Evelyn would never be happy if she was forced to be with him. He would have to let go. Danny could foresee the awkwardness between the three of them in future if they ever met each other. Nothing would be the same again, whatever he does. But it beats making the three of them miserable for the rest of their lives.

The only thing Danny could think of now was the hurt on Rafe's face. The pain in his eyes, and the tears on his cheeks. He had hurt his best friend beyond reason.

"I'm so sorry, Rafe." Danny whispered.


	4. Danny's choice

Chapter 4

"Danny, come on. We are going to be late." Rafe yelled from the doorway.

"Coming." Danny answered hastily. He scribbled his last sentence, folded the letter and placed it inside the watch case. Slipping the watch case into Rafe's drawer, Danny left the room silently, locking the door after him. "An early happy birthday, Rafe."

Soon, they were waiting at the airfield for the plane to get ready. Many people were boarding the plane already. Rafe and Danny remained in the waiting area, both of them were waiting for the same person. Rafe saw Evelyn walking towards them, and he gave Danny an encouraging pat on the back. He wanted so much to tell Danny that he had given up on Evelyn, and about the baby… but maybe he should let the two of them have a talk first. Danny could only manage a tight smile. Rafe's pat on his back made him feel even more guilty. Looking at Evelyn walking towards them, Danny swallowed nervously.

"See you on board." Rafe said, picking up his bags and heading toward the plane.

"Yeah." Danny replied softly as he too picked up his bags and walked towards the plane with Evelyn.

After a short while, Danny stopped and turned to face Evelyn. "Evelyn, I just want you to be happy, no matter what. I…I love you."

"I love you too, Danny. And I'll be here waiting for you when you come back."

Danny gave her a small smile and kissed her goodbye. This was going to be the last time…Danny promised himself. He hugged her tightly, treasuring their last moments together, wishing that time would stop and they could just continue hugging each other…but he still let go. Picking up his bags, he waved to Evelyn and boarded the plane without turning back. Danny knew that if he turned back, he would not be able to let go of her again. _I'll love you my whole life, Ev._

Settling down beside Rafe, Danny slid into his own thoughts. The mission was going to be dangerous, since it is top secret, and knowing Rafe, he would probably volunteer. Now Danny was determined to stop Rafe from going on the mission. If Rafe insisted on going, then the only thing Danny could do was to make sure that Rafe came back. He was willing to die to protect Rafe, if that could make up for what he had done. The only thing was…he would not be able to see that child of his…

Danny's mind went back to Rafe and Evelyn's conversation. Evelyn had said she was pregnant…if he didn't come back, then what would happen to Evelyn and his child? The child would be a reminder of what had happened between him and Evelyn, and that would make things awkward between Rafe and Evelyn. How are they going to be happy and pretend nothing had happened if they had to take care of his child?

There were so many questions, but no one to answer them. Danny could only blame himself for being too eager to start a relationship with Evelyn and losing control of himself, causing so much unhappiness for Evelyn and Rafe. What was done is done. There was only one thing he could do: return Evelyn to Rafe. He would have to think of something else for the child. But that would mean he had to make sure he came back, so that he could take care of the child. Danny wasn't sure he could face the awkwardness between the three of them in future.

Rafe observed Danny's expressions change from troubled to determined, to sad…many other complicated expressions that he could not describe, and he frowned slightly. Something was bothering Danny. He was so quiet since they boarded the plane. Rafe did not like Danny's expression. Somehow, he felt that Danny was going to do something. Something he would not like at all.

Things seemed different from what he had experienced before. That day, when Danny boarded the plane, he had been very talkative, full of questions about the mission. But now Danny did not seem to be in the mood to talk about anything at all. Why are things going differently? Was it because of him going to the park and delaying the conversation with Evelyn? But how could so small a thing change so many events? Does that mean other events were going to change as well?

Rafe did not like the way the events were progressing. If other events are going to change, he would not be able to predict what was going to happen. And he could not afford to let some unexpected event foil his plan and make him lose Danny again.

Both of them were silent for the whole flight, each engrossed in their own thoughts.


	5. Don't do this, Danny

**Author's note**: Sorry I took so long to update! I could not think of how to continue the story, and there was homework to see to. I hope you people would like the story! I will try to end it soon, so please continue to review and give me more ideas on how to continue the story!

Chapter 5

Danny made up his mind. The moment he got off the plane, he had decided to volunteer for whatever mission Doolittle had in store for them. Rafe would probably volunteer, and so he would be there to prevent anything from happening to Rafe. The first time Rafe had volunteered for a mission, he had gone to England and "died". "I will not let the England incident happen again." Danny swore under his breath.

"Danny, we have to talk." Rafe pulled Danny aside. They had been allocated rooms to stay in for the time being, and as usual, he and Danny got to share a room.

"What? Is something wrong?" Danny asked. "You sound so serious."

Rafe took a deep breath. "Danny, you know what top secret means."

"Yeah."

"Whatever it is, it has never been done before, and it is going to be dangerous."

"I know". Danny said impatiently. "Come on, Rafe. When has missions ever been safe? We are in a war, you know."

"Alright, I will go to the point. Danny, I don't want you to go on the mission."

Danny frowned. "What are you talking about, Rafe?"

"I am saying, I don't want you to go on the mission. It's dangerous, Danny, and I don't want anything to happen to you."

"No body wants anything to happen to anyone else, Rafe, but this is a war. I told you before. If trouble wants me I'm ready for it. There is no way I am letting you go on that mission alone."

"Things are different now, Danny. Evelyn already lost the man she loved once, I just don't want to see it happen to her again."

"That is what I am trying to tell you, Rafe. She lost you once, and do you think I am going to let that happen again?"

Now it was Rafe's turn to frown. "What are you talking about, Danny?"

"Rafe, she still loves you. I was just your substitute. When you were gone, it was hard for me, and hard for her too. I helped her to move on, and she treated me as your substitute. That was how we got involved. She loved you all along."

Rafe was stunned. "I didn't mean…"

"As far as I am concerned, Rafe, you are not going anywhere without me. If you are going on that mission, then I am going too. I don't care if it is dangerous or not."

Danny stood up. "It's settled then." He said briskly, without waiting for Rafe to reply. "I'm turning in early. See you tomorrow, Rafe."

Rafe looked out of the window. The evening sun was just preparing to set. It wasn't like Danny to sleep at such an early hour. It was obvious Danny was avoiding him. Rafe sat there for a long time, unable to process what Danny had told him. Why was Danny so determined to go on the mission? How did Danny know that Evelyn still loved him? Did Evelyn say something to him?

Looking at Danny lying on the bed with his face determinedly turned to the wall, Rafe was worried about the change in events. Things are so different from the last time. Could his small delay in that conversation with Evelyn affect so many things? What is going to happen next?

As he lay in bed, Danny thought silently. _Sorry, Rafe. I cannot let you go on that mission alone. I want to make sure you come back, so that I can undo some of the damage I did. I know you still love her, and she still loves you. I am going on that mission, whether you like it or not. I don't care if I died out there. This is my own choice. Good night, Rafe._

Rafe was so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he was surprised to see that night had fallen. He was feeling sleepy, so he got into bed. They were going to see Doolittle first thing in the morning. "Night, Danny." Even though Rafe knew that Danny was asleep, he felt good just saying goodnight to his friend. He felt more secure knowing that Danny was still alive and there beside him. Maybe things would get better tomorrow.

"_Do you know what you have done?"_

_It was that funny old man again. That mysterious fuzzy dream that gave him a chance to change the future. _

"_What are you talking about, sir?"_

"_You had to delay with that conversation with the girl, and now everything is going to change. You are not in control anymore."_

"_What do you mean?"_

_The old man sighed and shook his head. "It's fated. I was silly to think that it could be changed."_

_Rafe was getting really confused. "What are you talking about? Who are you anyway?"_

_The old man looked straight at Rafe. "Don't you remember me?"_


	6. Mission briefing

Author's note: Hey! This is a new chapter! I added this to write more about the training process that Danny and Rafe went through before they went on the actual raid. I am hoping that this will slow down the story. I could not think of much to add in the previous two chapters. Please read this and review! Maybe you can give me some ideas on how to make this story better. Remember to review!

Chapter 6

Rafe woke up, feeling confused. He had been about to ask the man what he meant when his alarm clock went off. He did not like these strange dreams. They seemed so real, as if he was transported to another place in his sleep. Now that he came to think about it, that old man did look familiar. Rafe just did not notice in the past. But who was he?

Rafe rubbed his sleepy eyes in frustration. He had too much on his mind, and he could not think straight. He went to the bathroom and doused his face in cold water. That's much better. Rafe looked at the clock and all other thoughts fled from his mind. It was 8.45 am, and they were due to report to Doolittle at 9.15!

"Danny, wake up! We are going to be late!" Rafe shouted at the top of his lungs, shaking Danny furiously.

"What the…" Danny sat up, looking around blearily. Rafe pulled him up and pushed him into the bathroom. He almost smiled to see that familiar confused look on Danny's face whenever he woke up in the morning. He had almost forgotten how Danny always managed to sleep through any alarm ever invented, and it had always been his job to wake Danny up on time. It had been so long since the last time he woke Danny up that he had forgotten how it was like. This simple routine restored Rafe's confidence and brought his old cocky smile back to his face. Things were going on as normal. He was just thinking too much.

Danny emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, wiping the water off his face. He looked at the clock, and Rafe caught a glimpse of Danny's wide-eyed look. "Oh my goodness, it is so late!" Danny groaned. Grabbing a piece of bread from the cupboard, Danny dragged a comb through his hair, slapped his hat onto his head and dragged Rafe from the room. "We are going to be so late!"

Rafe allowed himself to be dragged along. It felt so great to see Danny acting normal again. Danny seemed to have forgotten what had happened the day before, all his attention focused on getting to Doolittle's office before 9.15. Rafe remembered the days they had spent on Long Island, training.

In those days, Rafe and Danny almost always woke up late, and they had to rush to get to the assembly area every morning. These had become so frequent that they treated being late as part of their daily routine. There were one or two times when they got caught by "the Doolittle", as they liked to call General Doolittle, who was Major Doolittle back then. They earned themselves a few punishments and a couple of warnings, which they never listened to. Rafe was sure that they had been the most difficult soldiers that Doolittle had ever come across. They had the talent, but sometimes it was just hard to get them to co-operate.

Afterwards, he had gone to England, to war. In a war, there was no room to allow for late-coming. It was essential to get out of the building as soon as possible after hearing the siren. Both for the sake of the country and one's own safety. Rafe had seen one pilot who had just been half a minute behind the others when the planes took off and his plane was caught by a bomb blast that killed him. Time was of essence, and they could not afford to waste a single second on trivial things like late-coming. Rafe had been so well-trained in England that he had made a habit to be punctual. He had forgotten how it felt like to be late, and amazingly, it felt good. It was almost like they were back in Long Island, when there was no war, no Evelyn, just him, Danny and the training.

"Rafe! What are you doing? We have to go in!" a fierce whisper interrupted Rafe's fond recollection of the past days. He looked up, and saw Danny glaring at him. They had arrived at Doolittle's office with barely five minutes to spare, and here he was staring into empty space, engrossed in his own thoughts. Rafe smiled sheepishly at Danny, straightened his uniform and strode into Doolittle's office with Danny close behind him.

Both of them stood at attention and saluted the general. The familiar sight of Doolittle busying himself with documents on his table reminded Rafe of the many times he had to be called to Doolittle's office for "disciplining". The general made no sign that he had noticed them coming in, so Rafe made the first step. "Congratulations on your promotion, sir." The rest of the meeting went basically the way it had before.

After giving them a brief overview of what the mission required of them, Doolittle gave them an expectant look. Images of Rafe's tears and Evelyn's pain-filled eyes crowded Danny's mind, and they sent a strong reminder for Danny to fulfill his promise, both to Rafe and to Evelyn. Before Rafe could answer, Danny blurted out, "I'll go sir."

Rafe stared at Danny in disbelief. After all he said to him yesterday, Danny had just volunteered to go on the mission. He had volunteered to get himself killed! Danny purposely ignored Rafe's stare, all the while looking calmly ahead at Doolittle.

Now that Danny had volunteered, Rafe had no choice but to agree to the mission. Doolittle nodded and sent the both of them out of his office, going back to his work as if nothing had happened.

On the way back to their room, Rafe was fuming silently. What did Danny think he was doing? I was supposed to be the one to agree first. This was not how it was supposed to be. Rafe remembered how reluctant Danny was to agree to the mission. He knew that Danny did not like the idea of leaving Evelyn behind. But now, Danny seemed eager, too eager in fact, to go on the mission. Something was not right.

Rafe was about to ask Danny why he had agreed so readily when he realized that Danny was not beside him. He looked around, and saw Danny striding in front of him. Danny was walking at twice his normal speed. He was avoiding Rafe again. Rafe was puzzled at Danny's odd behaviour, and he walked faster to keep up with Danny. He was determined to have a proper serious talk with Danny, and hopefully get everything straightened out so that history would not repeat itself.

Once they were out of Doolittle's office, Danny walked quickly back towards their room. He did not want to talk to Rafe at the moment. He knew that Rafe was going to prevent him from going on the mission from the venomous glares that Rafe had been sending his way ever since he had agreed to go on the mission. Danny smiled bitterly. Rafe had his best interests at heart, and he was grateful for this. But he had to do what he had to do. Anyway, back then, Rafe had done the same when he volunteered to go to war in England. Back then, Rafe did not take his warnings seriously either. Danny could tell that Rafe did not understand why he had been so eager to go on the mission. He had always been a lover of peace, and it was not like him to be enthusiastic about going into war.

Danny wished he could explain everything to Rafe. About how he had heard their conversation, how he realized that he did not want to continue hurting Rafe and Evelyn, and how going on this mission was the only solution. Danny had made up his mind. If he went on this mission, he would be in the position to make sure Rafe got back safely. He was willing to sacrifice himself just to let Rafe come back to Evelyn. Going on this mission would allow him to protect Rafe. It was not as if the mission was a suicide mission. They would still have a chance of coming back. Danny just wanted to make sure that Rafe got back. If the both of them got back safely, Danny would have made a huge contribution to the war effort, and he would then be in the position to request for a transfer of posts.

He decided that it would be hard for Rafe and Evelyn to get back together if he was around all the time. Danny could not bear to think of how awkward it would be for the three of them in future. The best way would be for him to leave. After he completed the mission, he could ask General Doolittle for a transfer out of the base at Pearl Harbor. Preferably to a base far away from Pearl Harbor. He did not want to cause any more discomfort. Even though leaving would tear him apart, at least he would be the only one to suffer. He had caused enough pain for Evelyn and Rafe. It was right that he should undergo some sort of punishment for his selfishness.

What hurt Danny most was that before they had boarded the plane, and Evelyn had come to see him off, Rafe had given him a pat on the back, and Danny had seen surrender in Rafe's eyes. Rafe NEVER surrendered to anyone. But he had given up on his love just to make Danny happy. The look of defeat in Rafe's eyes sliced deep into Danny's heart and it hurt even to think of it. He never wanted to see Rafe look defeated. Never again.

As much as he wanted to, Danny knew he could never explain to Rafe. He could imagine how Rafe would react if he knew what Danny was planning. He would probably shout at him for being silly, rail at him for days on end, and if that could not change Danny's mind, Rafe would most likely transfer out of Pearl Harbor along with him just to make his point that he wanted Danny to be with Evelyn. Danny just wanted to leave quietly. He did not want Rafe to think that he was responsible for his transfer. He just wanted to redeem himself, and silly as it may seem, this was the only way he could think of.

He could hear Rafe's footsteps quicken in rhythm and he knew Rafe was catching up. He increased his speed. He did not want to face Rafe just yet.

_Forgive me, Rafe. _Danny thought silently.

P.S. Hope you liked this chapter. Please review and tell me what you think!


	7. It is my duty

Author's note: This is a new chapter too! Please review and tell me how you like it! I would be most grateful.

Chapter 7

Rafe finally caught up with Danny just before they reached their room. Yanking on Danny's arm, Rafe asked urgently, "Danny, we have to talk, alright?"

Danny turned back around. "I don't see a reason why."

Rafe retorted angrily. "What on earth were you thinking? You just volunteered for a top secret mission! You know what that means?"

Danny shot back, "I am old enough to know what a top secret mission involves, Rafe. I know what I am doing."

"You are avoiding me, Danny." Rafe said simply.

Danny remained silent. He really did not want to talk about this now. It made him feel horrible every time he remembered the tears on both Evelyn's and Rafe's faces. He felt so guilty every time he was reminded of the hurt that he had caused them. He had felt at a loss, and the only way he could think of to avoid confronting Rafe was just to avoid Rafe. It was silly, and most likely Rafe would get suspicious, but Danny really could not think of any other way to avoid hurting his best friend again.

"Danny, we need a proper talk. Come on." Rafe walked off in the direction of the beach. Danny sighed wearily. It seemed like Rafe was not about to let him off easily. He had no choice but to follow.

The two friends sat down on a spot at the beach. For a moment, both of them just stared aimlessly at the sea. Rafe was puzzled at Danny's abnormal behaviour, and he was busy ransacking his brain for something to put Danny off the mission. Anything would do. If only his brain would function properly. He could not afford to lose Danny again. Finally, Rafe broke the silence. "Danny, listen. Evelyn already lost the man she loved once, and I just don't want to see it happen to her again. You cannot go on this mission."

Danny rolled his eyes. "You know this is a war, Rafe. We don't have a choice. If I don't go, someone else would, and who knows? That someone might have an entire family. This is not a matter of whether we want to or not. It is my duty, and I am not going to shrink from what I am supposed to do."

"But you have to think of Evelyn! If something happened to you, how do you expect her to cope? It is hard to lose someone once, but twice is even harder." _And I do not want to lose you again. _

"Rafe." Danny said quietly. "What were you thinking when you volunteered to go to England? That it was your duty, right? This is what I am doing now. Simple as that. I am just doing my duty. "

"That was different…"

"It was not." Danny interrupted. "You said so yourself. You felt that it was your duty to go. Well now I've got that feeling. I feel that it is my duty to go on this mission, and I am going to do it."

"But…"

"You said it was hard to lose someone once without having to lose that person again. How do you expect Evelyn to cope if something happened to you on the mission? She already lost you once, isn't it?"

Rafe could not believe what Danny had just said. If he had remembered correctly, Danny had wanted to stay with Evelyn the last time. He had gotten into a fight with Rafe just to protect his relationship with Evelyn. Danny loved Evelyn and wanted to be with her. But now, Rafe had a nagging feeling that Danny was trying to reconcile matters between him and Evelyn, maybe even attempting to bring the both of them together again.

"Did…Evelyn say something to you? The both of you quarreled or something?" Rafe asked, concerned. Evelyn had seemed upset when she came to see him. And now Danny was acting strangely. Did something happen between the both of them?

Danny hesitated. "No. Nothing happened." There was an awkward pause. "Come on, Rafe. It is not possible to foresee what is going to happen. Why are you so pessimistic all of a sudden, as if you are sure something is going to happen to me?" Danny glanced at Rafe and saw his friend's worried expression. He knew that Rafe was looking out for him, just like he always did. The more Rafe looked out for Danny, the guiltier Danny felt. His friend genuinely cared for him, and what did he give Rafe in return? Betrayal. Danny's heart sank as he thought of what his relationship with Evelyn had done to their friendship. Rafe had said that things would not be the same again. Danny agreed too. Perhaps it was too late to try anything to save things, but the least he could do was to try. He had a duty to try.

Rafe thought hard. How on earth could he convince Danny not to go on the mission? Why was Danny acting so strangely? If Danny really went on the mission, how was he going to ensure that Danny came back safely? Rafe hadn't had a good night's sleep in days, and gradually he fell asleep, still thinking about those questions, and Danny didn't interrupt him. He just wanted to treasure these last peaceful moments they had together. Once they entered training, they were going to be busy, and after the mission…no matter the outcome, they were not going to have the same chance again.


	8. On the mission

Author's Note: Oops, sorry I uploaded so late again. Been busy with tests and homework…I am so sorry! I should go review others as well…hope you like the story! Remember to review!

Chapter 8

_A few months later…_

Danny and Rafe were getting ready for the mission. They had completed their training, and now was the time to put what they have learnt into use. The Japanese had discovered the aircraft carriers, and they had to take off immediately if they still wanted to accomplish the mission before the Japanese were ready.

Rafe did not know what to do. If he could not think of something quick, he would lose Danny again in a few hours and there wouldn't be a second chance for him to change things. Danny came over to wish Rafe good luck. "You take care of yourself up there." Danny said.

"Yeah, I will. Danny, be careful, you hear me?" Rafe couldn't help but remind Danny one more time.

"I will. I'll see you Rafe." Giving him a slight wave, Danny walked off to his plane, leaving Rafe looking really worried.

The bombers took off the aircraft carriers and the mission was completed successfully. However, it was not long until the Japanese were alerted and they started shooting at the bombers. It was all Danny and Rafe could do to try and escape the bullets being shot at them.

"Danny, get up in the clouds!" Rafe shouted over the radio, trying his best to keep control of his plane, which was wobbling really violently under the impact of the attacking bombs.

"All right, we heard you Rafe. Pulling this girls up, come on guys," Hearing Danny's voice, Rafe reassured himself that Danny was still safe and concentrated on his own plane.

After quite a bit of ducking and flying, the bomber planes finally cleared Japan and were flying towards China.

It's not over yet, Rafe thought grimly. The last time he had been too confident that they would reach China safely once they cleared Japan, and the Japanese patrol troops had caught him by surprise. This time he would not let that happen again. He had made up his mind to bail out of the plane once the shore is sighted. This way, they would not meet the Japanese patrol troops, and nothing would happen.

But somehow, a small voice kept nagging at the back of Rafe's mind. The words of that old man in his dream. Rafe had not figured out who the man was, but it sounded as if the man had given him a warning. _I was silly to think that it could be changed… everything is going to change. You are not in control anymore. _Those were his exact words. Did it mean that he could no longer predict what was going to happen? Then it would be the same as doing the mission all over again, with no idea of what was going to happen. Rafe hated that feeling of helplessness. No. The man must have been mistaken. It was only a five minute delay. What difference would it make?

Trying to push the thoughts out of his mind, Rafe focused on the horizon, hoping against hope that the shores of China would be sighted soon.

P.S. Please, please please review!


	9. Things go wrong

Author's note: Oops, I am so sorry! I really meant to write fast and soon, honest! But things kept creeping up…for example examinations… Anyway, here I am with the new chapter. I am so glad that people reviewed! Thanks for all the reviews! They have been most helpful! Hope you continue to enjoy my story… do remember to review! Please, my life depends on it!

Chapter 9

"I see the coast!" Rafe shouted happily over the radio. He was so relieved, the coast of China was just up ahead.

"We'll make it." Danny replied, unable to hide the happiness in his voice. They were going to make it back home after all!

"Danny, there could be enemies in China. I suggest we bail out before the plane lands. Just let the plane crash. It could even distract the Japanese, and then we could make it safely to the Chinese camp!"

"What are you talking about, Rafe? What enemies?" came the confused reply.

"Never mind what I said, just bail out before the coast, alright?" Rafe was determined to stop Danny from landing on the rice padi fields. That way, they would not meet the Japanese soldiers at all.

"Whatever you say, Ra….oh gosh!"

"What happened, Danny?" Rafe asked worriedly. He strained to see what had happened to Danny's plane, and to his horror, he saw his best friend's plane reeling, with one of the wings broken. Flames engulfed the bomber, and before Rafe could respond, more missiles flew his way, aiming to destroy his plane as well.

_Somehow, the Japanese saw us!_ Rafe thought, dismayed. _Are we that close to shore? _

"Danny, are you all right?" Rafe called for his friend repeatedly over the radio, while trying to dodge the missiles.

"……"

Rafe's mind went blank. _This was not supposed to happen! No! I am not going to lose Danny again! _His thoughts raced for a quick solution to the crisis, but he could not think of anything. The man's voice sounded again, "_You are not in control anymore."_

"Rafe!" Red screamed in terror. Rafe looked up, jolted from his thoughts, and his blood ran cold. Several Japanese fighter planes were coming right at them, and their fuel was going to run out soon.

Rafe pressed hard on the control stick, turning the plane to avoid the Japanese attacks. For once, Rafe MaCawley could not protect his best friend, and he could only watch helplessly as Danny's plane crashed into the sea in a ball of flames.

"No! Danny!"

_Someone tell me this is not happening! It could not end like this! _

Rafe knew, though. The nightmare was true, and it was only beginning…

So how was this chapter? Not bad, I hope. Please read and review!


	10. Capture

Author's note: I really thank all of you for reviewing my story! I seem to be starting my chapters with a lot of apologies for being lazy... So sorry, I got distracted halfway through the story. Also, I couldn't think of how to continue the story. I got carried away halfway and the story sort of ended up more complicated than I originally thought. Never mind, hope you like this chapter! PLEASE review!

Chapter 10

"Danny, there could be enemies in China. I suggest we bail out before the plane lands. Just let the plane crash. It could even distract the Japanese, and then we could make it safely to the Chinese camp!"

Danny listened to Rafe's strange reply, confused. How on earth did Rafe know there would be Japanese on China?

"What are you talking about, Rafe? What enemies?"

"Never mind what I said, just bail out before the coast, alright?"

Danny sighed resignedly. Rafe always came up with all sorts of strange scenarios during missions. Even though Danny knew he was just trying to make sure that everyone ended up safe, sometimes his scenarios seem impossible. How could there be Japanese in China?

"Whatever you say, Ra….oh gosh!" Danny's eyes widened as he saw missiles coming straight for his plane. He tried to swerve out of the way, yanking hard on the control stick, but it was too late. The missiles exploded on impact with the left wing of the plane, and the plane shuddered violently.

"What the…" Danny swore under his breath, gripping the control stick grimly, trying to bring the stricken plane under control. He was aware of static coming from the radio, obviously Rafe's reply to his earlier message, but nothing audible cold be heard.

Goose grabbed his seat tightly as the plane went through another crazy curve in the sky. The other teammates on the plane tried to get a handhold on whatever was closest to them, to avoid crashing into everything as the plane spun.

Suddenly, Goose yelled. "Look at the left wing!" Danny turned around briefly, and what he saw chilled his blood. The left wing was gone, and what was left of it was engulfed in a huge fireball. "Great." Danny muttered as he turned his attention back to the missiles still coming their way. "Now everyone can see us."

The plane spun a couple more circles in the air, hopelessly out of control. Danny turned around to his fellow crewmates. "Guys, I think we have to take Rafe's suggestion and bail out into the sea."

The plane was nearing the coast already, and it was low enough to act as a cover for them. Signaling for the rest of the crew to follow, Danny breathed in deeply and jumped. The others followed behind him. Just as they surfaced, the plane exploded and crashed into the sea a couple of meters away from them.

They turned and swam towards the beach, keeping out of sight as best as they could. _I hope Rafe has better luck. _Danny prayed silently for the safety of his friend.

"Danny's plane has gone down!" Rafe yelled. He searched the sea frantically for signs of Danny, but he could barely see anything. The missiles were keeping him busy. Suddenly, one of his engines started to make a whirring noise, and then stop altogether. "Lovely, no more fuel."

"Rafe, we are going to have to land soon." Red said, his speech amazingly free of any stammering that was typical of Red when he was nervous.

Rafe nodded. He spotted some rice padi fields a little distance ahead. "There are some fields ahead, I will bring her down there." _Hang on, Danny. Once we land, we are going to save you. _

The remaining engine sputtered and died. Rafe clenched his teeth as he brought the plane down, the effort making him break out in a sweat. The ground rushed up to meet them, and parts of the plane broke off as the plane skidded to a stop.

"Is everyone all right?" Rafe coughed. The impact of the landing had made him knock his forehead hard on the controls, and his head hurt.

The other crew mates were fine, and they slowly climbed out of the plane, or what remained of it. "Watch out for the attackers. We have to find Danny and the others." Rafe told the others in a low voice. Everyone nodded grimly, and they crept forward through the tall grass, looking out for signs of the soldiers who had fired the missiles at them.

The sound of feet running interrupted the small group, and they quickly fired in the direction of the sound. Muffled yells told them that some of the bullets had found their mark. The remaining soldiers shouted angrily in Japanese, and they started firing at the American soldiers. Rafe and his group ducked behind a nearby rock and fired back at the Japanese soldiers closing in on them. They were outnumbered by the Japanese, and soon they were surrounded and forced to surrender.

Rafe struggled against the Japanese soldier tying his wrists together, but it was useless. _Things were not supposed to happen this way! _Rafe thought wildly. _This is wrong! _Nothing had gone according to plan. Danny and his group were missing, presumably dead, and now his group was captured by the Japanese. What was happening?

Ha, I hope you liked this chapter. Remember to review!


	11. A debt repaid

Author's note: It has been quite a while since I last updated. I hope you will enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! I am going to end this story soon, so please continue to review and tell me what you think of it!

Chapter 11

Danny and his team mates trudged wearily on the beach. The distance was father than they thought, and the sea was so cold. It had taken a lot of strength for them to swim to the shore. Well, at least they were lucky enough to land in the sea. The sea put out most of the fire on the plane, and they were able to get out. Tired as they were, they could not rest, though they wanted to. They had to look for the Chinese camp. Somehow, somewhere.

Suddenly, shots rang from somewhere to the left of Danny's group, and they heard shouts, some in English and some…in Japanese. Danny's blood ran cold. "It's Rafe's group! The Japanese got them!" No, this could not happen! Danny forgot his pledge to return Evelyn to Rafe. He forgot the conflict they had ever since Rafe returned. All that remained was Rafe, and he was in trouble.

"This way!" Gooz pointed in the direction of the shouts. Danny and Anthony followed him as they walked briskly into the long grasses. Despite their worry for their friends, they have to be cautious and watch out for hidden Japanese soldiers in the field. It would not do Rafe and the others any good if they got themselves killed. Danny spotted two Japanese soldiers huddled among a clump of tall grass, with their guns pointed at the direction of the crash site. It was evident that they were positioned there to prevent any American soldiers from escaping. Danny and Gooz advanced on the Japanese slowly. Taking care that there were no other Japanese soldiers around, they fired. The Japanese soldiers went down with a surprised cry. Anthony kept a watch out for approaching Japanese troops as they continued through the tall grasses, but they did not meet with any more resistance. It seems that Rafe's group was caught by a patrolling troop instead of a regular fighting troop. On patrols, the soldiers were less heavily armed and they were not prepared to fight. This would make rescuing their friends easier.

They emerged shortly onto some padi fields, and Danny immediately spotted Rafe's burning crash site nearby. There was a group of Japanese soldiers pointing guns at the American soldiers, who had their arms raised.

Danny fought the urge to start shooting the Japanese soldiers threatening his friends, and whispered to the other two, "I'll take the two in the center. Gooz, you take the two on the right, and Anthony, you take care of the rest." They nodded grimly, and took up positions surrounding the Japanese patrol group. The Japanese were so preoccupied with subduing the Americans that they did not notice the three soldiers creeping up behind them.

Rafe's feet were being tied up by a Japanese soldier, and Danny hated the way Rafe was helpless to stop him. Rafe had never been helpless, no matter how much he was bullied for not being able to spell properly. Alright, maybe whatever happened to Rafe in England made him unable to help himself, so he was unable to come back to America, unable to give word that he was alive, unable to prevent the events that followed his presumed death…

Grinding his teeth against the surfacing of unwanted memories, Danny steeled himself for the impromptu ambush of the Japanese soldiers. He had made up his mind to give up Evelyn, and thinking about it would not help matters at all. Raising his hand, he gave the signal for his friends. _Now. _Aiming his own gun at the Japanese soldiers, Danny squeezed the trigger.

Rafe had prepared himself to die. He was prepared to be shot, prepared for the worst, but he was not prepared when the Japanese soldiers surrounding his group was suddenly attacked and shot by who knows who. Imagine his surprise and relief to see Danny's group emerging from the bushes. Danny, looking perfectly alive, was coming towards him. He had not failed in his personal mission. At least not yet.

"Rafe!" Danny hurriedly bent down to untie Rafe's binds. "Gosh, that was close. Did they…"

For the second time in the day, Danny did not get to finish his sentence. Rafe's eyes widened as he saw more Japanese soldiers coming up behind Danny. The Japanese soldiers had gotten backup support! The leading soldier of the approaching group raised his gun, and he was aiming straight at Danny, who was unaware of their presence as his back was to them.

Without thinking, Rafe pushed Danny aside…and took a shot in the shoulder and another in his side. White-hot pain burned him where the bullets penetrated. As Rafe fell to the ground, vision blurring from the pain, he realized that this was what Danny had to experience when HE blocked the bullets for him the last time. This time, at least, Rafe had repaid that debt.

Danny felt a bullet whizz past the air where his head had been moments ago. Everything seemed to slow down, and he watched in horror as Rafe took the bullets for him. Shocked at the sudden change of events, he felt a burning anger towards the Japanese soldiers. They were going to pay for that.

Whirling around, Danny fired off shots wildly, dimly aware that the other pilots were retaliating as well. The Japanese soldiers fired back, but they were outnumbered by the Americans. It turned out that they were not backup for the previous group of soldiers. Danny and his friends were just lucky to meet up with a second patrol group, come to find out what was taking the first group so long.

Soon, the fight was over. For the moment, Danny and his friends were safe. Danny rushed back to Rafe's side, alarmed at the amount of blood his friend was losing. Taking off his jacket, he pressed it to Rafe's wounds, trying to stop the blood flow as best as he could.

By now, Rafe was weak from loss of blood. With some difficulty, he lifted one hand to stop Danny's actions. "No need…for that."

"No, Rafe, you are going to be fine. Help will be here soon, and then we will all go back to America. Evelyn is there waiting for you. You have to go back. " No! This was not right! It was not supposed to happen this way! Danny felt utterly wretched. Despite his attempts, he was still unable to protect Rafe. If anything happened to Rafe, he would never forgive himself. He owed Rafe too much.

Rafe tried to comfort Danny, to think of anything to comfort him, but somehow his brain refused to co-operate. He heard himself to say, "No, Danny, Evelyn…she's…"

Danny smiled bitterly. "Don't talk now Rafe, save your energy. I know."

Rafe slowly looked up at Danny, saw the look on his friend's face, and realized that Danny did know. He had known all along that Evelyn was pregnant…with his child. "But…how did you…" He did not get to finish his sentence. His body went limp in Danny's arms.

"No! Rafe, you can't! Evelyn is still waiting for you…how could you do this to her again? How could you do this to me?" Breaking down, Danny hugged Rafe close, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I heard everything Rafe. I was there. I'm so sorry…so sorry."


	12. Further complications

Author's note: Thanks for the reviews! Hope you enjoy this chapter as well. :P

Chapter 12

It felt like an eternity waiting for help to arrive. The Japanese soldiers could come back anytime. By then, the American soldiers would not have enough ammunition to defend themselves. There wasn't much talk, and they just huddled next to each other, seeking what little bit of warmth they could from each other. Rafe slipped in and out of consciousness, and the anxiety was almost driving Danny mad. He had to get Rafe back to Evelyn. He owed them that much.

When Rafe was unconscious, Danny tried hard not to think about how much paler he looked, how much blood he was losing despite Danny and the others' best efforts, and how much longer it might take for the Chinese to find them. However, his mind refused to cooperate. It kept reverting back to the current situation, and when he tried to force it away, it turned to another topic that he had buried deep in his heart for quite some time now. Evelyn, and their baby. His baby.

What was he going to do? He did not want to make Rafe and Evelyn miserable for the rest of their lives because of him. But he could not possibly leave his child. And he still loved Evelyn, no matter how hard he tried to deceive himself to think otherwise. It was not easy giving up someone he loved, but to give up both Evelyn and his son…that made things harder. He could not let Rafe and Evelyn bring up his son for him. That was an irresponsible thing to do, and he was never irresponsible when he could help it. What's more, he wanted to be his child's father. The child was…part of him.

If he left Rafe and Evelyn to look after the child, wouldn't it serve as a constant reminder to them of the events that they tried so hard to forget? How could they be happy together if they were continually reminded of his existence in their relationship?

Danny closed his eyes. Things were getting so complicated. What he should focus on now should be taking care of Rafe and bringing him back to Evelyn. The rest could wait. When they got back, he would find a chance to talk to Evelyn. Get her opinion on what should be done. When they get back, that is.

Suddenly, Gooz, who was currently on sentry duty, whispered a warning. "There are people coming."

Heart sinking, Danny scrambled to his feet softly along with the others, and they formed a barrier between the oncoming people and Rafe. They had nowhere to hide. Perhaps the only reason they were not being attacked at the moment was because they had not come within shooting range. That did not mean that they would not be attacked later on. It was a silent consensus that they protect their injured friend as best as they can. Whatever happens, they would not surrender. _Please, let it be help coming, _Danny prayed fervently.

The pilots aimed their guns, waiting for the advancing party to come within shooting range. Try as he may, Danny could not identify the small group of people. Were they more Japanese soldiers? Or were they the Chinese soldiers? When the group gave no sign as to their identity, the pilots prepared to shoot.

"Hold your fire!" a familiar voice commanded. "We have come to help." The pilots gaped at each other. That sounded a lot like Colonel Doolittle. Then, relief replaced their surprise and they almost whooped in relief. Help was here, at last.

Bending down, Danny whispered to Rafe, who was semi-conscious by now. "Hang on a while more, Rafe. We're getting out of here soon."

Evelyn stretched as she got out of bed. Eyeing the alarm clock, she gasped. "It's 8 o'clock already! I am supposed to be there at 8.45!" How could she have overslept! She had argued for such a long time with Major Jackson just to get him to allow her to be there when the news came in about Rafe and Danny. They were going to carry out the raid today, and she had wanted to get wind of their news as soon as possible. It was such an important date, and she overslept!

Hurrying to the bathroom, she washed up and dragged a comb hastily through her curly brown hair. She pulled out a random dress in her wardrobe, dressed and was out of the door in record time. Walking as fast as she could manage, Evelyn headed towards the main road to flag a cab. She was so focused on getting to her destination as fast as she could that she did not notice the bicycle coming in her direction.

The cyclist rang the bell furiously, stepping hard on the brakes in an attempt to avoid banging into Evelyn. Right at the last moment, Evelyn realized that she was in the way of the bicycle, but there was not much she could have done. The cyclist swerved hard to avoid her, and Evelyn's own attempt to avoid the bicycle put her in the path of the cyclist, again. Amid curses and screams, the bicycle hit Evelyn hard, and crashed to the ground a few metres away. Evelyn fell to the ground, and came in contact with the rough ground, hard.

The shock of the hit made Evelyn numb to any sensation at first. Then pain started to get hold of her, coming from every part of her body, but more strongly from her stomach area. She felt something warm flow down the insides of her legs, and a sense of fear gripped her. Her baby! Forgetting her pain, she struggled to sit up, tried to get a look on what was happening, but her vision swam, and somehow she could not get any strength into her arms. Groggily, she registered the look of guilt and shock on the face of the cyclist as he bent over her. Before she passed out, she thought, _this can't be happening. My baby, my child…Danny's child. Oh please…_


	13. Safe

Author's note: Hoping to end this story soon. Please read and review!

Chapter 13

Evelyn came to slowly, her brows furrowed as her mind registered the aching pain throughout her body. For a moment, she could not remember what had happened. Every part of her hurt. Opening her eyes, she squinted at the sunlight coming in from the window. She gave her eyes time to adjust, and when they did, she found herself lying in hospital, with a group of very worried friends crowding around her. Martha, Barbabra and Sandra. They were all there.

"She's awake!"

"How are you feeling, Ev?"

"Gosh, you had us worried there."

"Hey, someone call the doctor."

Evelyn got confused with the sudden bombardment of questions. Frowning, she tried to remember what had happened. She was walking out of the nurses' hostel…and a cyclist materialized out of thin air, coming straight at her, and…her eyes widened in shock as she recalled the events. Her baby!

Reaching out, she grabbed Sandra's arm, and whispered urgently, "My baby…did something happen to my baby?"

Knowing how worried she was, Sandra patted her arm reassuringly. "Nothing happened to your baby, Evelyn. The baby is fine."

Evelyn heaved a sigh of relief. Just to make sure, she moved her hand over her belly, and the slight bulge at her lower tummy had never been more comforting. Her baby was alright. That was enough for now.

Martha admonished her gently. "You should be more careful in future, Ev. The doctor said that if you had arrived at the hospital later, the baby might not have lived. You nearly suffered a miscarriage!"

"How did it happen anyway?"

Evelyn eased herself up on the pillows, and gave her friends a meek smile. "I'm sorry. I was…in a hurry, and I didn't notice the bicycle coming."

"No, I meant, how did you get pregnant? When did you…Why didn't you tell any of us?" Sandra asked.

Evelyn didn't hear her question. Her smile disappeared as she remembered why she had been in such a hurry. She was supposed to be there when the news came in about Danny and Rafe's mission! After gathering up the courage to approach Major Jackson and convince him to let her be there to hear whether they made it or not, she failed to turn up because she was silly enough to not notice the bicycle!

"How long have I been here?" she asked tentatively.

"Three days."

Oh gosh, the mission had been over for three days! If…any of them had not made it…Evelyn kicked herself hard mentally for being such an idiot. "Are there any news yet?"

"About what?" The other nurses were getting confused. What was Evelyn talking about? Was she sure she was alright? Did she get a concussion or something?

"About them…Danny and Rafe. They went off on that mission, which was supposed to have taken place three days ago! I was going to…oh I messed up!"

Worried, Sandra pushed Evelyn gently back onto the pillows. "Take it easy, Ev. They will be fine."

No, they were not fine. Evelyn had this sinking feeling in her stomach. Somehow, she knew that the mission did not go as well as it should. Something had happened. But what? What went wrong on the mission? Did any of them get hurt? Oh, if only she had not gotten herself knocked down by the bicycle, at least she would have known about it if anything went wrong.

Not that she could have done anything to help if something HAD went wrong, but still…she had hoped to be the first to know if anything happened to them.

Hope you liked the chapter! Please, submit a review!


	14. A father's last gift

Author's note: Thanks for reading my story! Remember to review!

Chapter 14

Back at the camp of the Chinese soldiers, Danny was pacing around in the waiting room. The general had told him to wait there for news, giving him a look that told him very well what would happen if he did otherwise. The hospital looked just like any other, and Danny had his fair share of hospital visits ever since the war started, but not once was he this nervous. His mind kept replaying the scene where Rafe got shot. There were a lot of "if onlys" that were surfacing, and a lot more worries and doubts that he had to push back.

Out there in the fields, even though Rafe was bleeding like anything, at least he could see him, and he would be there if anything went wrong. In his heart, Danny knew he was being silly. Here Rafe was getting professional care, better than anything he could possibly come up with. Nothing wrong could happen.

Not that he believed himself anymore. He had promised himself that he would protect Rafe at all costs, but it ended up with Rafe protecting _him,_ just as it had always been since they were young. He would never forgive himself if…no, he would not go there. Shaking his head, Danny sat down on a row of chairs at the side of the corridor.

Just then, the general came into the waiting room. Danny practically shot up from the chair, and he asked anxiously. "Is he alright?"

The general smiled reassuringly, and nodded. "Calm down, Walker. The doctor said that he still needs some more rest, but they have managed to get the bullets out of him and he will be fine."

Danny let out a relieved sigh. The general gave him a rare smile. "All of you did a great job out there." Patting Danny on the shoulder, he said, "I'll see you in two hours in my temporary office. You know where it is?" Danny had heard that the Chinese soldiers had allowed the American soldiers to use one of their operation rooms on the camp as a temporary base, and he nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good. Meanwhile…you can go in and see him now if you want. You have two hours to spare, but see to it that you are not late. We have something very important to discuss."

With that, the general left the room. Danny saluted, and immediately rushed off to Rafe's ward. He needed to see for himself that his friend was indeed alright.

* * *

"_Well done, you managed to accomplish what you came for. Thank you so much Rafe, for saving Danny."_

_Rafe rubbed his eyes hard. It was that old man again. The place looked the same, just plain white mist all around, and the old man was even wearing the same clothes. But this time he looked…different. He realized that it was because this was the first time he had seen the old man smile. Not those sort of forced, tense smile, but a smile born from true happiness. Strange, it had been such a long time since he last saw the old man, he had almost forgotten about him._

_After a short pause, Rafe's mind registered what the old man had just said. He had succeeded in saving Danny! He was not going to lose his best friend anymore…Danny was alive! Then he recalled what had happened. He was…shot. _

"_Am I…dead?" Rafe hurriedly checked himself, but he could not see any wounds. Now that was even stranger. He vividly remembered being shot, but where were the wounds?_

_The old man chuckled. "As far as I know, you are as alive as the last time I saw you."_

"_Who are you? I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but I really cannot remember where I have seen you before. Have we met?" This is turning out to be freaky. He knew there was something odd about the old man who kept appearing in his dreams. Rafe had no doubts that these incidents were dreams now. He had no other logical explanation as to how the bullet wounds could mysteriously disappear, and nothing else could explain the white mist that he always found himself surrounded by whenever this old man appeared. However, even if this was a dream, just who was this old man? Why did Rafe have this nagging feeling that he had seen him before?_

_A sad look entered the old man's eyes. "It is not surprising that you don't recognize me. You only knew me after the war…destroyed my life, and destroyed me as a person, so to speak. And you were still quite young then…just a year older than my Danny."_

_Eyes widening as he finally caught on what the old man was hinting at, Rafe shook his head in disbelief. "No, you can't be…"_

"_You are right, Rafe." The old man seemed to read Rafe's mind. "I'm Danny's father."_

_He looked away to hide the tears welling up in his eyes, so he did not see Rafe's jaw drop open. "I had never been a good father to my son. I don't know what I was thinking, but I remember punishing him often without any real reason, and making his life miserable altogether." Sighing, he gave Rafe a guilty look. "The main reason I brought you back in time to save Danny was…I wanted my boy to have the life he deserved. He was…such a sweet and obedient boy, but I didn't appreciate him. I wanted to do what I can to make it up to him."_

_Rafe understood, and he smiled. "Danny would be very happy to know this, Uncle Walker"_

_The old man smiled back. "No one has addressed me that way for a very long time, you little rascal." The two of them laughed, all past grievances forgotten as they remembered the good old days back on the Tennessee farms. Rafe used to address Danny's father as "uncle Walker" when he was trying to negotiate for a longer playing time with Danny, and Danny's father had always scolded him for being a "little rascal". Suddenly, as he looked back on those days, Rafe realized that Danny's father had not always been fierce and unreasonable. It was only when he was drunk or in a bad mood after gambling that he became violent. There had been times when he had been more understanding and reasonable as well. _

_The old man's face softened. "Say hello to my son for me, will you? Tell him to take care of himself and try not to get killed. I helped him this time, but I don't know whether I can do so again the next time round."_

_They shook hands. "I will." Rafe promised. _

_The surroundings started to blur, and Danny's father seemed to melt back in the background. Before darkness fully descended, Rafe heard him saying, "Good bye and good luck to both of you."_

"_The same to you too, Uncle Walker."_

* * *

I hope you liked this chapter. How about a review, people? 


	15. The past revisited

Author's note: Wow, thanks for all the reviews! I am glad there are people out there who like the story.

As a tribute to all those who have read my story, I am going to make this chapter an extra long one! Hope you like it enough to give me more reviews! Thanks for all the reviews so far, but I seem to have an insatiable thirst for reviews. I really don't mind if the reviews keep coming in. Really. :P

This chapter is dedicated to all the lovers of the movie Pearl Harbor, as well as to all my readers. Enjoy!

Chapter 15

Outside Rafe's ward, Danny hesitated, suddenly unsure of what he was going to say when he faced his best friend again. What do people usually say to someone who was just shot? _What could I talk about? _It was only then that Danny realized, with a pang of regret and guilt, that his friendship with Rafe was no longer what it used to be, despite their efforts to rebuild it. After they quarrelled over Evelyn, things had not quite been the same. No matter how much he tried to convince himself that they were still best friends as before, there still existed a barrier of sorts when it came to this sort of one-to-one talks.

Once, there was nothing he couldn't talk about with Rafe, and he never felt awkward, or at a loss for topics to talk about. There were even times when Rafe complained that he talked too much. But now, Danny was unsure of how he was going to face Rafe again. After doing his best to avoid talking to Rafe before the mission, it was not as if he could just walk in and ask Rafe what he thought of the weather.

Gathering up as much courage as he could, Danny opened the door and stepped in, closing the door softly behind him. He looked around and recognized the figure in the bed at the far right corner of the room. It seemed as if Rafe was still asleep. Danny approached Rafe's bed, pulled up a chair and settled himself down in it.

Worried, he checked Rafe's wounds, but other than the bandages, he could not see anything else that indicated Rafe had been hurt. That was a good sign, wasn't it? At least Rafe wasn't groaning in pain. That put his heart at ease somewhat.

Danny checked his watch. He still had quite a lot of free time, so to speak, before having to meet up with the general in his office. Since Rafe was asleep, he should not disturb him. It had been some time since any of them had much sleep, come to think of it, ever since they went on the mission.

It seemed like such a long time ago when he had said goodbye to Evelyn…frustrated with himself, Danny shook his head to clear his mind. He had promised himself not to think of her anymore. He couldn't now…not when Rafe had almost died for him.

"Hey Danny, your father said hi."

Danny took some time to register what had just happened. He blinked. "My father said what? Oh, you are awake!" His face broke into a broad smile, and Rafe smiled back weakly. "Yeah, it sure took you long enough to realise that."

"How are you feeling? Does it hurt? Do you need anything?"

"Just some water, thanks."

"No problem." Danny reached for the pitcher of water beside Rafe's bed, and poured him a glass of water. Helping Rafe to sit up, he passed the water over to Rafe.

After drinking some water, Rafe put the glass on the bedside table. "Did you hear what I said just now?"

"Sure, you said my father…" Danny stopped, and he looked at Rafe in concern. "Does your head hurt?"

"Not really, why?" Rafe frowned slightly.

"It's okay, I'll go fetch the doctor. It's just a concussion. No need to panic." Danny got up to leave.

Rafe almost laughed. _He can still make jokes in this sort of situation._ His reaction was almost comical, but when Rafe saw that Danny was indeed intended on leaving and getting the doctor, he hurriedly grabbed his arm and pulled him back down on the chair. "No, you are sitting down right here. No doctor. I do NOT have a concussion. I'm serious here."

"I'm serious too, Rafe. Do you know what you are talking about? My father died more than ten years ago, and here you are saying he said hi? Are you sure you don't need a doctor?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Rafe tried to sound stern. "Oh, come on, we have to talk. Seriously." _It's about time I tell him what happened. _

Danny thought Rafe was going to talk about Evelyn. About her being pregnant. He fixed his eyes guiltily on the floor, and said, "There's no need. I heard everything."

Rafe stared blankly at him. "You heard? Whoever did you hear it from?" _What was he talking about?_ _How could anyone else know about what had happened, except him…and Danny's father of course. Unless Danny's father gave Danny a dream too, and told him everything. Ah yes, that must be it. _

Danny started, and his guilt increased tenfold. Rafe had probably forgotten what he said on the field, and he had to be such a big-mouthed idiot to remind him. Before he could reply, he heard Rafe say, "Both of you had a talk, didn't you?"

It didn't occur to the two of them that they were crossing wires. Rafe thought Danny was talking about his father, while Danny thought Rafe was talking about Evelyn.

"Not yet, but don't worry about it Rafe. It is my fault and I will think of some way to make things better." Danny promised.

Rafe's brows creased in confusion. "No, wait. If you two hadn't talked yet, how did you know about what had happened?"

Danny blushed a bright guilty red. "I sort of…overheard."

Now things were getting out of hand. Rafe frowned. How could Danny overhear what he was saying to Danny's father?

Finally, Rafe realised that they were talking about two entirely different things. "Who are you talking about?"

Looking up from his spot on the floor, Danny asked, "Weren't you talking about Evelyn?"

So that was what he was talking about…Rafe almost smiled, but the mention of Evelyn reminded him of something that had slipped his mind. _Well, it wouldn't hurt to talk about Danny's father later. After all, there is something I want to find out…_ "What did you overhear?"

_If only I didn't bring up the subject…there is no escaping it now. I know what Rafe could be like when he wants to know something…_Danny sighed inwardly. Bracing himself for an indignant outburst from Rafe about him invading on his privacy, Danny started to explain as best as he could. "I didn't mean to, Rafe, really. I was…walking back to our room to finish packing, and then, I happened to pass by the petrol station…and I heard everything"

Danny couldn't continue. His own words brought back an image of the scene that day. He remembered the look on Evelyn and Rafe's faces. Their pained expressions when they realised what went wrong with their relationship was not that Evelyn did not love Rafe anymore, but it was because of _him._ The two of them had to sacrifice their love because Evelyn felt duty-bound to him. He could see vividly in his own mind the tears that had been on Rafe's face, and on Evelyn's as well. _He _had been the cause of their unhappiness.

Stunned, Rafe's mind raced. He never saw Danny nearby…how could Danny have heard…no wonder Danny had acted so strangly on the plane. Ever since then, he had sensed that Danny was trying to make him go back to Evelyn, but he didn't understand why. So that was what Danny was trying to do, insisting on going on the mission…avoiding any mention of Evelyn…he had been trying to repair what he perceived as the damage he had done.

Rafe was the first one to break the long silence. "Danny, things are not what they seem…"he tried to make Danny feel better. Danny had never been good at hiding his emotions. Or at least Rafe had always been able to see through his mask, and now Rafe could see clearly that Danny was feeling guilty and blaming himself for Rafe's failed relationship with Evelyn.

Danny gave Rafe a tight smile. "It's okay, Rafe. This is between Evelyn and me, and I will come up with something to make things right." His voice caught in his throat at the thought of having to confront Evelyn…and say goodbye to her forever. And their child…Danny already had an idea of how he was going to resolve the situation, but that would mean giving up his child and his love…Danny blinked hard to prevent tears from welling up, and he hurriedly turned his head away, taking deep breaths to repress his emotions.

It hurt Rafe to see his best friend trying so hard to hide his guilt and hurt. He wanted to tell Danny that it was all right, that he could stay with Evelyn and have a proper family with her. He wanted to assure Danny that he didn't mind things not working out between him and Evelyn…but somehow he couldn't find the words for it.

Seeking for a way to end the awkward silence that had fallen between them, Rafe cleared his throat, and changed the topic. "I wasn't talking about Evelyn, Danny. I was talking about your father."

Danny turned back to look at his friend. "You weren't talking about Evelyn?" Rafe shook his head. "I know you are going to think that I am crazy, but I think that your father would have wanted you to know what he did for you." And Rafe started to tell Danny how everything started, and watched with some amusement as Danny's mouth went slack in surprise, eyes widening at the thought of Rafe travelling back through time to bring him back. With his father's help.

"You can't be serious!" Danny protested. "My father died many years ago! And how on earth can you travel back in time to change things that had happened?"

"I have no idea." Rafe confessed. "I only managed with your father's help." His face softened. "He wanted to make up to you, Danny. He said that he did not treat you well enough when he had the chance to, and this was his way of saying that…he's sorry. He really loved you very much, Danny."

Rafe's words seem hard to believe, but despite himself, Danny found himself wanting to believe that what Rafe said was true. Crazy as it may be, it was a logical explanation as to why Rafe had been so strongly opposed to him coming on the mission…There was a small part in Danny's heart that wanted very much to believe that his father loved him after all. Ever since he fought in the First World War, Danny's father had changed entirely, and often beat Danny up when he got himself drunk or lost money in a bet. Danny had never experienced what it was like to have a father who loved him and cared for him. But now, if what Rafe said was true…

"He wished you good luck, and told you to take care of yourself."

That was what kept replaying in Danny mind, even after saying goodbye to Rafe, after attending the meeting that the general called for, where they discussed how to get word back to America about the success of the raid, and how to make arrangements for transport back home. That night, Danny lay long awake even after his friends had fallen asleep. There was limited space on the camp, and so the pilots had to share one room. He tried for some time to fall asleep but to no avail. _He wished you good luck…He really loved you very much. _An echo of Rafe's voice kept repeating at the back of Danny's mind.

Closing his eyes to try and block out the voice, Danny found himself back in Tennessee, his home. Among the golden wheat waving merrily in the wind, he saw his father coming towards him slowly. It was almost like he was small again. This scene was familiar to him. His father had probably just discovered that he had run off to play with Rafe, and had come to take Danny back to work on the farm. A sense of dread that Danny had not felt ever since his father died came back and settled at the bottom of his stomach, rooting him to the spot.

He watched helplessly as his father came nearer, knowing that he was going to get a good beating. When his father reached him, Danny stared the ground, bracing himself for what was coming. To his surprise however, his father embraced him warmly, something that Danny had never seen before. His eyes widened, but he didn't dare to move, and so they remained that way for quite some time before Danny's father let go.

Holding his son back at arm's length, he looked at Danny and smiled. "I have missed you, son." The genuine happiness and love that shone from his father's eyes left Danny at a loss for words. He was beginning to doubt his own sanity, when his father said, "I thought it would be better to explain it myself. I know I have not been a good father to you, Danny, but I just wanted you to know…that I didn't mean to hurt you. You meant the world to me, but I didn't give you what you deserved. I wanted to let you have another chance to lead the life you were meant for, Danny, a proper and happy life that I was unable to give."

"So…what Rafe said was true?"

His father smiled a small, sad smile. "I have to go…goodbye my son. I'm sorry…I really loved you." Hugging Danny tight one last time, he whispered, "I will miss you so much…take care."

Danny reached out to grab his father's hand, to tell him not to leave, to say everything that he wanted to say, but his father was gone, and Danny was back in the room. He could still feel his father's presence…somehow Danny was sure it was not a dream.

The weak rays of the rising sun shone through the window. Danny's cheek glistened with fallen tears that he was not even aware of.

"I love you too, Daddy. Thank you." _I missed you too. _


	16. The hardest choice of all

Author's note: Yay, I love the reviews! Thanks very much, it helps a lot as motivation to continue the story. Does my plot move very fast? I shall make the chapters longer from now onwards, so that there is more time to introduce the stuff that is happening. :P This is not the last chapter yet…I was planning to end it in Chapter 15, but in the end, there were so many things to write that I cannot squeeze them all into one chapter, so here I am with another chapter! I hope you will enjoy this chapter too, and remember to review!

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Chapter 16

When transport was sent two weeks later, the pilots were overjoyed to be able to return to America at last. Danny's spirits soared, but sank a few moments later when the general decided that they had to leave Rafe behind. The doctor said that Rafe was not well enough to make the trip back to America, and they would have to come back for him at a later date. Danny tried to argue with the general, but despite his reluctance to leave his friend behind, he knew that it was not fair to delay everyone to wait for Rafe to recover, which, for all he knew, might take quite some time. It was not like they were abandoning Rafe, Danny argued with himself. And anyway, Rafe does need peace and quiet to recover, and based on his experience, plane rides are not exactly peaceful and quiet.

The pilots were given two hours to finish packing their stuff and assemble in the landing field to meet their transport. Danny's packing didn't take up much time, thanks to his habit of keeping things neat and tidy. They did not have many belongings to pack up anyway. He still had more than one hour left… enough time to visit Rafe again and say goodbye. A lump rose in his throat as Danny realized that this visit might very well be the last time he was going to see Rafe. If things go the way he planned… he might not even be there when Rafe came back. And who knows when they would meet again. If they do meet again.

-----

When Danny entered Rafe's ward, he found that he was asleep. Even if Danny had said goodbye, Rafe wouldn't be aware of it. He did not want to wake Rafe up, but it made him sad that they had to part this way. They had been friends since childhood, and now he was going to have to leave without saying goodbye.

_I know what I have to do when I go back… but it's going to be so hard. _Danny realized that there were a lot of people he was going to miss. Rafe, Evelyn, his friends, his father… a sad smile slowly spread on his face. He would never forget any of them, no matter where he is.

Bending down, he hugged Rafe. _Goodbye Rafe. Thank you so much for everything._

Letting go, he straightened up and gave Rafe a crisp military salute. With that, Danny turned and left the room.

-----

Evelyn was there at the landing field early in the morning, waiting anxiously for the return of the two most important people in her life. It seemed like forever, but finally she spotted the plane coming towards her. Giving her tummy an encouraging pat, she whispered joyously to her baby, "Your father is coming home."

The plane landed, and her smile widened as she saw Danny get off the plane. _He's alive! _But soon, she realized that Danny was the last out of the plane, and her smile disappeared. The look on Danny's face was familiar. That was how he looked when he came to tell her about Rafe's supposed death many months ago. _Oh no, had something happened to Rafe? _Evelyn didn't think she could bear losing Rafe again. Slowly, she got up and walked towards Danny.

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The first thing Danny did when he got off the plane was to look for Evelyn. He saw her coming towards him, and noticed that her tummy was somewhat more prominent than before. Everything came rushing back to him, and he had to fight down the feeling of reluctance that rose in his heart. Exhaling slowly, he went over to meet her. _No matter how hard it is, I have to do this. _

Evelyn had a worried look on her face as she approached Danny, and Danny knew what she was thinking of. A small twinge of jealousy rose in him, and Danny pushed it down in disgust. How could he be jealous of Rafe? It was normal for Evelyn to be worried about him. After all, the one she truly loved was Rafe, and he was just the stand-in. Rafe did so much for him, and yet here he was being jealous over Evelyn's obvious concern for Rafe.

Shaking his head to clear all the doubts he was starting to have regarding his plan, Danny spoke before Evelyn could say anything. "It's okay. Rafe is alive. It is just that we had to leave him behind because he was not well enough to fly."

Evelyn was startled at the way Danny was able to guess her thoughts. Somehow, ever since she knew him, he had been able to guess if something was troubling her, and he was always able to come up with something to console her or cheer her up. That was what had brought them together in the first place…

Her mind finally registered what Danny had said. _He was not well enough to fly…that means Rafe is hurt. _Evelyn tried to ignore her worry and concern for Rafe, telling herself fiercely that the one she was going to love from now onwards was Danny, and she should stop thinking about Rafe so much. She smiled awkwardly at Danny, and said. "I'm glad that the both of you are alright. Welcome back, Danny." _Oh no, that did not go very well. It was so awkward! _Evelyn could have kicked herself. She had rehearsed many times before to come up with something to welcome him back. Yet, now that he was standing in front of her, she had forgotten everything.

Danny noticed her discomfort, and tried to change the topic. "There is something I have to discuss with you, Evelyn." Looking around at the welcoming crowd of families of the other pilots, he added. "In private."

Evelyn frowned slightly at Danny's serious tone, and nodded. Things were not going as she had expected. Danny seemed so…distant. He fell in step with her as they walked away from the landing field, and there was silence between them as neither could think of something to say to the other. Evelyn was busy trying to guess what caused Danny's sudden change of attitude, and she was waiting for Danny to offer some kind of an explanation.

On the other hand, Danny was trying to suppress his feelings for her. He wanted very much to hug her, tell her how much he had missed her… but he knew that if he was going to do that, he would never be able to let go of her again. As much as he wanted to deceive himself, Danny knew that Evelyn did not love him the same way she loved Rafe, and it would not do them any good if he were to insist on staying together with her. Nothing good comes out of a forced relationship, and he did not want to ruin the lives of his best friend ad the girl that he loves. Make that loved, Danny told himself sternly. From now onwards, there would be nothing else between them other than friendship.

They sat down an empty bench at the side of the street, and Evelyn asked. "What is it, Danny? Is something bothering you?"

"Evelyn, I don't want to force you to do something that you don't want to." Trying once more to suppress his own feelings of reluctance, Danny managed to smile. "It would not be fair to break up you and Rafe just because of…" He paused. "Just because of our child."

Evelyn stared at him. How did he know about that? She had planned to make it a surprise for him when he came back…did Rafe tell him after all?

Her suspicion showed on her face, and Danny laughed softly. "Rafe didn't say anything, Evelyn."

Shocked, Evelyn spluttered, "But how…"

Danny sighed, and squeezed her hand. "That is not what's important, Evelyn. I meant it when I told you that I just want you to be happy. I don't want you to force yourself to be with me just because of our child. If you truly love Rafe, you should go back to him." Heaven knows how much strength he needed to say that, but it felt so much better once he got it out.

Evelyn looked at him in disbelief, "What do you mean?" He wanted her to go back to Rafe?

"I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to, Evelyn. It's up to you to decide, but don't let our child affect your decision."

_He wants me to choose between him and Rafe? _Evelyn still couldn't believe her ears. Ever since they had left for the mission, she had decided to stay with Danny, and she had never dared to think of going back to Rafe. It all depends on whether Danny can accept it, and whether Rafe can accept her. She had let Rafe down before, and now, how could she go back to him when she is with Danny's child? She loved Rafe, but she loved Danny too. There is still a difference, but Evelyn was sure that with time, she can build a stronger relationship with Danny. As much as she wanted to believe that, Evelyn knew that she would never be able to forget Rafe. Does that mean that she should give Danny up?

A long time passed, and the two of them just sat there in silence. Danny already knew who Evelyn wanted to be with, and he was ready to step out. But he wanted to let Evelyn decide for herself. Evelyn was fighting with herself, between her love for Rafe and her sense of responsibility towards Danny.

Stealing a glance at Evelyn, he saw conflict on her face. "He still loves you, Evelyn. He always had, and always will. " Danny said softly.From the look of pain that flashed across Evelyn's face, Danny knew that she felt the same way towards Rafe.

Evelyn looked at him, and tears fell. "Danny, I…" _I don't know what to do!_

Danny knew how difficult it was for her. She loved Rafe, but she did not want to hurt him either. It was about time he stopped causing them so much pain. He had to let go. Reaching over, he gave Evelyn a comforting hug. "It's okay, Evelyn. We can still be friends."

Evelyn returned his hug, and they remained that way for a long time. The evening sun sank beneath the think layer of clouds, and Danny bade Evelyn goodbye in his heart. It was the hardest decision he ever had to make, but he would not regret it.


	17. The life he was meant to lead

Author's note: Keep the reviews coming! I live on them. This is the last chapter of the story. However, it is not the end yet:P I cannot manage stories with too many chapters, so I am starting on a sequel! Hope you will enjoy the sequel as much as you enjoyed this story. Do remember to review!

This chapter is dedicated to all my readers. Enjoy!

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Chapter 17

After having solved issues between him and Evelyn, Danny felt more relaxed than he had been ever since Rafe "returned from the dead". He and Evelyn would remain friends from then onwards. He would need some time to get used to this change, but Danny was sure he would get over it. Things had turned out better than he had hoped, and he should not ask for anything else. By giving Evelyn up, he got to keep both Rafe and Evelyn as his friends, and that is enough for him.

Evelyn had assured him that Rafe would be willing to take care of their child, telling him not to feel responsible towards her and their child. He knew that Rafe would not mind taking care of their child…but that does not make him feel any better. He owed Rafe too much, and it made him feel bad to make Rafe take care of his child…

He wouldn't be able to tell Rafe the news personally though. The general had told him that Rafe was coming back the next week, but by then, he would be back in Long Island to train for a new mission…

Zipping up his bag, Danny took a last look around the room which he had shared with Rafe for the short time they were there at Pearl Harbor. There wasn't much to pack, since he brought most of the stuff he needed when he received orders that they were going stateside to meet Doolittle. He was just back to retrieve some small items that he was unable to bring along then. Things like his small collection of photos, some books, and his diary.

Nostalgia surfaced in him suddenly as he remembered the many things that he had shared with Rafe throughout his life, up to this moment. To have to spend the rest of his life without his best friend…Rafe's presence had always been there with him wherever he went, well, except for the period of time when Rafe went to England.

_It's alright. I won't forget Rafe, Evelyn, Gooz, Red…all of them, no matter where I go. The memories are the only things that matter, and I have lots of them. _Danny told himself. _Time to let go. _

Walking towards the door, Danny went looking for his friends. _They will kill me if I leave without a word. _He was halfway down the path when he realized that he didn't know what to say. It wasn't as if he could just walk up to them and say, "Hey guys, I am leaving for a mission tomorrow so I am here to say goodbye." He would be lucky if even a cat would be satisfied with that.

Danny slowed down his pace as he tried to come up with a logical excuse to explain why he was leaving to his friends. Knowing them, they would probably try to come along with him, and there was no way he was going to endanger his friends again. Not wanting to reach his friends' barracks before he came up with something, Danny took a detour down a deserted alley, thinking furiously. He had to come up with something soon, but what was he going to say?

Engrossed in his thoughts, Danny did not notice the group of pilots creeping up behind him. Gooz, Red and the others had been on their way to Danny's room, planning on dragging him to an impromptu party that they had decided to throw on hearing the news that Rafe was coming back next week, when they saw him walking out. They were in a very good mood, and it had been a long time since they last had some proper fun. Danny Walker could blame his own luck that he posed such a good target. Stifling the urge to laugh, Gooz gave the thumbs up signal…

Danny was bewildered and caught utterly off guard when he was pounced upon from behind. Yelling in surprise, he tried to fight off his assaulters, but he was brutally outnumbered. _I am being robbed, in broad daylight! _Danny thought wildly, almost panicking. His arms were pinned behind his back, and Danny couldn't see their faces even if he tried. He cursed silently under his breath, trying to free himself but to no avail.

Danny's eyes widened in alarm as he realized that someone was reading him his rights. "Hey! Who on earth do you think you are? I didn't…" His voice trailed off. That voice sounded familiar… His suspicion was confirmed when the voice broke off into laughter, and his arms were released.

Caught in a confusing mixture of exasperation and amusement, Danny turned around to see his friends doubling over in laughter. He tried to look angry, but couldn't keep it up for long. Unable to help himself, Danny joined in the laughter. His friends always had surprises for him; he doubted he would ever be able to predict them all. It was only now that Danny understood just how much he was going to miss them.

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"What?" Gooz spluttered, almost choking on his drink. He stared at Danny as if Danny had lost his mind. The group of friends was hanging out at the local bar, which reminded Danny of the last time they had a similar gathering in the same bar to celebrate Rafe's "return" from the dead. And of course, there was the fight that broke out later when Danny got into an argument with Rafe over Evelyn… but most of them had gone off now. In fact all of them had gone home, except Gooz, who still wanted to have a drink. Danny couldn't bring himself to tell his friends during the party, in case he spoilt their mood.

"I am leaving tomorrow to train for the new mission I've been assigned to." Danny repeated, praying silently that Gooz wouldn't ask too many questions. He felt guilty lying to his friend, but it had to be done.

It was the only thing he could think of that sounded logical enough to explain his sudden departure. He had Rafe to thank for this excuse. Now Danny knew why Rafe chose to tell him that he had been assigned to the British Army to help fight the Germans a year ago. It stopped him from volunteering to go to England, and Danny was confident it would stop his friends from volunteering for this mission as well.

It would not do to let them know that he had looked up the general personally and asked to be part of the next mission. From the moment Evelyn made her choice to stay with Rafe, he had decided to retreat from their lives. It was the only way he could offer Rafe and Evelyn enough time and space for them to get back together, and fix the damage that he had done to their relationship. But none of his friends needed to know this.

A short silence ensued, after which Gooz finally asked, "When are you coming back, then?" Danny shook his head. "I don't know." At least that was true. He really didn't know when the mission would end. "Can you help me tell the others tomorrow?"

Gooz sighed, and nodded. "I will." Not like he had a choice, since he was the only one Danny informed about this.

Relieved, Danny smiled. "Thanks." Reaching over, he gave Gooz's hand a hearty shake. "So long, buddy."

"So long." Gooz returned the handshake. "Danny, be careful, you hear me?"

That had been what Rafe said to him before the bombers took off for the Doolittle Raid. It stirred up a reluctance in Danny to leave before Rafe came back, but he forced it back down. "I will. Same to you too." _Goodbye. _

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The plane was getting ready for take-off. Danny didn't have time to look for Evelyn after the party yesterday, so he left a note in her mailbox instead. The scene at the air field looked familiar as well. Pilots rushing to board the plane, some biding goodbye to their friends and loved ones…the last time he had been here, Rafe had been there with him, and Evelyn had come to see him off. Both of them are not here now, and Danny understood that they won't be with him again, if things went his way. At least they won't be there physically to support him. Deep in his heart, they would always be there. All of them.

Squaring his shoulders, Danny picked up his bags and strode towards the plane. Half an hour later, the plane took off, and Danny Walker made the first step into his new life. Just like a little farm boy many years ago, who changed his entire life the moment he befriended his new neighbour when he first moved to Tennessee. Rafe McCawley had walked a part of his life with him, and now he would walk the rest by himself. Alone, if need be.

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I have decided to base the sequel on Danny's new life after he left on the mission. Hope you have enjoyed this story, and continue to support the sequel! Do keep the reviews coming!


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